Light A Candle
by sammygirl1963
Summary: During a hunt in the snowy mountains of New Hampshire, the Winchesters are hit by something unforeseen.  Will the magic of Christmas bring back the light to  the youngest Winchester's eyes?
1. Chapter 1

**Light A Candle**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Winchesters or anything recognizable in this story.

_**Old Chinese Proverb: **__"It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness."_

Sitting in a sparsely decorated motel room on the outskirts of a small town in New Hampshire in the dead of winter, Dean sat at the table preparing a mixture of bullets as Sam gathered information for their latest hunt for a legendary creature known as an orang minyak. The supernatural creature had been prowling the ski slopes of Mt. Washington over the past month and reputedly had raped and killed a total of seven women after dragging them through the snow laden trails. Determined to put an end to its reign of terror before another woman fell victim, the brothers put their time to good use gathering as much information as they could before starting their hunt the following day. The creature was brazen and preferred to make its' attack in broad daylight on the ski runs so they would be forced to hunt it in the daytime, making the hunt a tricky one, especially with the people that would be out enjoying their time on the slopes.

"So, what have you dug up about the creature so far Sammy?" Dean questioned as he poured some black powder into the hollowed out bullet he held in his hands.

"Well, it says here that the orang minyak was originally a man who attempted to win back the love of his life by using black magic but was cursed instead. Apparently, the devil offered to help him win back his love, but at a cost of raping twenty one virgins within a week." Sam answered as his eyes scanned the information on his laptop.

"Son of a bitch, that thing is definitely going down tomorrow, but not before I cut its' freaking balls off." Dean gasped in revulsion upon hearing the ghastly information. "What else does it say? Does it mention how we can kill the damn thing?"

"No, the article just states that the creature resembles a naked man who is covered in some kind of slimy substance which virtually makes it difficult to catch since the substance supposedly helps it to become invisible at times." Sam answered as he read aloud the material that was on the internet page. Looking up with a somber expression in his expressive blue-green eyes, he said, "Basically, this creature is a serial rapist and one slippery son of a bitch that's going to be nearly impossible to catch."

"Yeah, well, that thing hasn't met the Winchester brothers yet, now has it?" Dean questioned a little cockily as he loaded some salt and iron ore into another bullet and capped it before placing it into the speed loader of his revolver, figuring a mixture of bullets would be their best bet in taking down the supernatural baddie. "I figure that thing will try to make its' move on somebody tomorrow with the skiing competition that's going on and we'll be ready for it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sam voiced, though he had a bad feeling about this hunt. He couldn't exactly say what it was that was bothering him, but he felt a deep dread that something was going to go wrong.

"Something bothering you dude?" Dean queried, stopping what he was doing and turning his full attention to Sam after hearing the hesitation in his younger sibling's voice.

"Something just feels off about this hunt." Sam answered with a sigh as he focused worried eyes on Dean. "I don't know why, but I just got a really bad feeling about this one Dean. Maybe we should let Rufus or some of the others handle it."

"Rufus is probably drunk off his ass somewhere and Bobby is too far away to handle this one," Dean refuted, glancing up at Sam. "We gotta handle this one ourselves before that thing kills someone else tomorrow.

"Yeah, I know you're right. I'm probably over reacting anyway." Sam admitted with a shrug as he glanced out the window to see the Christmas lights twinkling around town.

"That's just the girl coming out in ya, Samantha," Dean smirked, dodging the pillow that was thrown his way in retaliation for the remark.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"Hey Dean, I was thinking that after this hunt is over, we could buy some eggnog, maybe get one of those little fake trees and hole up in a motel for the holidays. What do you think?" Sam asked as he glanced over at his brother. He and Dean had been hunting their asses off lately and he felt like they could really use some downtime.

"Could be fun, but I kinda promised Bobby we'd meet up at his place," Dean answered as he filled another bullet with cumin and salt. "He needs our, _or should I say your, help _in translating a couple of old Latin texts he got in recently.

"That's fine, whatever," Sam voiced with a sigh as he once again turned his attention to the decorations lighting up all over town. Oh well, Christmas was just another day anyway. Besides, he never really had enjoyed the holiday since that Christmas of so long ago when he was eight years old and really learned about what his father did for a living.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Waking up early the next morning, the brothers dressed quickly and then grabbed a couple of donuts from the continental breakfast on their way out of the motel. They needed to be on the ski slopes early if they were going to have any hopes of catching the orang minyak before it killed again.

Parking the vehicle at the far end of the parking lot that led to the slopes, Dean and Sam climbed out of the muscle car and then walked around to the trunk. Surreptitiously surveying the area for any onlookers, Dean then opened the trunk and exposed their hidden arsenal. Grabbing one of the small firearms, Dean loaded it with one of the speed loaders and handed it over to Sammy before doing the same with his own. Tucking the revolvers into the back hem of their jeans where they would remain hidden by the parkas they were wearing, the brothers then grasped their backpacks loaded with supplies and set off for the slopes. The hunt was on!

Trudging toward one of the more advanced slopes where there was sure to be more people skiing once the ski lifts opened, Sam hoped they could find a well enough hidden alcove amongst the trees to keep an eye on things. If the orang minyak followed pattern, it would be making another kill today. Raising a gloved hand to shield his eyes from the highly reflective snow, he saw a stand of evergreen trees that he felt would provide enough cover while at the same time giving them a clear view of the ski lifts and the people riding them.

"What about the trees over there?" Sam questioned Dean as he pointed to the area where several trees stood gloriously dressed in a blanket of pure white.

"Yeah, that'll do," Dean agreed as they changed path and veered off to the right. "It should also give me a good vantage point for watching all the little ski bunnies in their cute little outfits."

"Dean, we're supposed to be working here, not ogling women," Sam warned lightly with a shake of his head as they approached the stand of trees and made themselves comfortable.

"Hey, I'm working. Working on watching all those beautiful women up there on the ski lift," Dean retorted with a wicked grin as he winked at Sammy before leaning back against the tree nearest to him and focusing his binoculars on the ski lift and taking in the raven haired beauty sitting in the second seat.

"Give me those," Sam groused, grabbing the binoculars off of his brother and scanning the snow covered fields ahead looking for the orang minyak. He couldn't help but wince as the glistening snow made his eyes water. Damn, but that white fluffy stuff sure seemed to be getting brighter as the morning progressed along.

"Party Pooper," Dean scoffed before pulling the other pair of binoculars from his bag and searching the surrounding area. Surveying the area ahead, he couldn't help but smile at how easily is was to get his baby brother riled up at times, something he enjoyed doing and which helped to stave off the boredom of waiting during hunts.

**~~Supernatural~~**

"Ya know, I'm beginning to think this creature isn't going to show today," Sam voiced in aggravation, raising a gloved hand to rub at the gritty feeling in his eyes. They had been watching the snow covered field for a few hours now and it was beginning to give him a headache, one that even rivaled those that came with those damn visions that used to hex him.

"Yeah, I'm beginning to think you're right," Dean agreed, scanning the lower right quadrant of the ski slope once again for signs of anything out of place. "Maybe we should just pack it in and call it a night. There's always tomorrow."

"Sounds good to…Shit," Sam hissed loudly, dropping his binoculars to the ground and covering his face with gloved hands as he fell back against the tree behind him.

"Sammy? Sammy, what is it?" Dean questioned anxiously as he threw down his own binoculars and grabbed his brother by the arms to steady him as Sam began to thrash a little.

"My…my eyes," Sam replied, groaning at the pain that was asaulting his aching orbs.

"Damn it, move your hands and let me see," Dean voiced, trying to pry Sam's hands away from his eyes so he could get a look at them. "Damn it Kiddo, I said let me see."

Allowing Dean to pull his hands away, Sam suddenly gasped in horror upon making a startling realization. "Dean, I…I can't see."

**TBC **_**Do you want to read more or should I just delete this one? Let me know with a review.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Light A Candle **Ch. 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Winchesters or anything recognizable in this story.

_**Old Chinese Proverb: **__"It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness."_

**Previously: **_Allowing Dean to pull his hands away, Sam suddenly gasped in horror upon making a startling realization. "Dean, I…I can't see."_

'_Sonuvabitch,' _Dean swore to himself as he swiped a trembling hand across his lower jaw upon seeing the redness and swelling of his brother's eyelids. He didn't know what was wrong or how to help his brother and it scared the hell out of him. But of course, he couldn't let Sammy know that, not when the kid was already freaked out as it was. No, he had to keep him calm and get him out of the woods somehow and to medical attention.

"It's gonna be alright, Kiddo. I swear to you, everything is going to be alright," Dean voiced, injecting more calm than he was feeling at the moment into his voice. "You probably just got something in your eyes without realizing it and it scratched your cornea or something."

"You…you don't know that," Sam stammered as the darkness around him became all consuming, bringing back the fear he had as a child of things that were hidden in the dark. "Dean, I-I'm scared."

"I know you are, Tiger. But I'm right here and I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Dean informed his brother as he cupped the nape of Sam's neck with his palm and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I'm going to wrap your eyes and then we're getting out of here."

"What about the orang minyak? It could kill someone else," Sam voiced worriedly before nervously chewing on his bottom lip. He didn't want to stay out in the woods without being able to see, but he also didn't want anyone else dying because of him either.

"I don't think it's going to make a move on anyone tonight. If it was going to kill another person, it would have already done so by now so," Dean stated assuredly although he had no way of knowing if he was right. "Besides, the sun will be setting soon and you yourself said that the creature strikes in broad daylight."

"But what if…what if it changes pattern?" Sam queried, startling in surprise as he felt Dean place a gauze pad over his left eye before taping it down.

"It won't," was Dean's answer as he opened another gauze pad to cover Sammy's other eye. "Now quit squirming so I can finish what I'm doing here." Of course, Dean himself was worried about the creature possibly killing again, but his brother came first and he'd be damned if they were staying out in those woods one minute longer than necessary. No, he would call Bobby and have him call in someone else to take over the hunt.

"Okay Sasquatch, up you go," Dean voiced as he tugged Sam up and steadied him when Sam wavered slightly on his feet. He had to get Sammy to medical attention as soon as possible. "Just hold on to me and I'll navigate you safely back to the car."

"Kay," Sam whispered, wrapping a hand around Dean's bicep and taking a hesitant step forward as his brother did.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Glancing over at his brother as they drove down the highway toward Mt. Washington Memorial hospital, Dean wished he could do something to make his brother feel better about the situation. He could tell his brother was freaking out by the way Sam clenched his hands every time the car slowed for a curve or for some idiot traveling at a snail's pace on the highway. He thought about reaching over and placing a hand on Sam's shoulder to calm him, but then he was afraid that Sam would jump in surprise and bang his head off of the window with as antsy as he was feeling right now. Returning his attention to the highway ahead, he hoped the hospital would come into sight soon.

Sitting in the shotgun position as they sped down the highway, Sam could feel the nausea building in his stomach as the ride became dizzying. He hated not being able to see what was in front of him. Sure, he trusted his brother's driving, but it was still disconcerting not knowing if a deer or something would run out in front of them, Clenching his hands as the nausea became worse, he could only hope they would get to the hospital soon because he really couldn't take much more of riding in the car at this point.

"Dean, pull over," Sam gasped as the nausea began to rise in his throat.

"Sammy, what's wrong?" Dean questioned while slowing down to pull over on the side of the road at the same time.

"Sick," Sam answered, pushing the door open as he felt the car jar to a stop. He had no sooner dropped to his knees and began heaving when he felt the comforting touch of his brother's hand rubbing circles on his back.

"S'okay bro, I've got ya, Let it all out" Dean voiced, placing one palm under his brother's head to support it while using the other to rub his sibling's back.

Once Sam stopped heaving, Dean grasped a bottle of water from the car and opened it. Placing it in his brother's hand, he said, "Wash your mouth out, Tiger."

"Th-thanks Dude," Sam voiced as he handed the bottle back over and waited for Dean to help him to his feet. He didn't want to accidentally step in the mess he had just left on the side of the road.

"No thanks needed. That's what I'm here for," Dean informed his brother as he once again pulled Sammy to his feet. Let's get you in the back where you can get more comfortable. It should help curb the nausea until we get to the hospital."

Allowing Dean to help him, Sam ducked at the appropriate time to keep his head from hitting the car and then lay down in the back seat as much was possible with his tall frame. Breathing deeply, he tried to remain calm as he felt the car start up. Damn, but he hoped they would get to the hospital soon.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Sitting on the edge of the hospital gurney as he waited for the doctor to come in, Sam took comfort in hearing the slow, steady breathing of his brother beside him. He had feared being alone in the treatment room with people he didn't know and was enormously glad that Dean had decided to stay with him when his name had been called to back for treatment. Hearing the sound of shoe soles scuffing on the floor, he looked toward the area where he thought the sound was coming from.

"Samuel Morgan?" Dr. Jason Kent asked as he walked into E.R. treatment room number five to see two men, one of whom was sitting on the hospital gurney with his eyes wrapped.

"Yeah, that's me," Sam answered with a hesitant smile.

"And you are?" the doctor queried as he looked at the only other man in the room.

"Sam's brother, Dean" the elder Winchester stated as he held out a hand to the young doctor in greeting.

"What seems to be the problem?" Jason queried as he glanced over the notes on the file that Dean had filled out for his brother.

"We were out on the ski slopes most of the day when Sam suddenly had a sharp pain shoot through his eyes and then lost his eyesight," Dean answered for his brother, noting that Sam was a little anxious.

"Okay, I think I have an idea of what might be the problem. Is it okay if I take these bandages off and get a look into your eyes Sam?" Dr. Kent asked Sam before touching his patient.

"Ye-Yeah," Sam replied, bracing himself for an unfamiliar touch. Of course, he couldn't help shuddering when the doctor touched him.

Gently removing the bandages and taking a close look at Sam's eyes, the doctor was certain he was looking at a case of photokeratitis, something he had seen quite a few times after working in the E.R.

"Sam, I'm ninety-nine percent sure that what we're dealing with here is a case of photokeratitis, which is more commonly known as snow blindness. But to be totally certain, I am going to put some Fluorescein dye into your eyes which will make sure I have given you an accurate diagnosis," Jason explained, waiting for the nurse to bring him the requested solution.

"Okay Sam, I need you to lay back for me," the doctor instructed, standing aside so that Dean could help his brother into the more comfortable position for the drops to be placed into his aching eyes.

"Sam, I am going to put some drops in your right eye first and then the left," the doctor explained once Sam was in a reclined position before touching Sam's right eyelid to keep his patient apprised of what he was doing. Gently squeezing the rubber topping, he squeezed two drops of the yellowish colored liquid into first the right eye and then the left. Once the solution had a chance to coat his patient's eye from the automatic blinking that the drops caused, Jason then grasped the blue light which would help him to assess the damage by making it more visible.

"Well Sam, looks like my diagnosis is indeed correct. You basically have a burn of the cornea, which is the clear front surface of the eye, most likely due to the UVB rays that were reflecting off of the snow," Jason stated as he wrote the diagnosis down on Sam's medical chart.

"How bad is it Doc? I mean, Sammy will get his eyesight back, right?" Dean questioned anxiously, placing a hand on Sam's shoulder as he stood by his side.

"I can't say for certain. But in most cases, yes, the vision usually does return after within a twenty-four to forty-eight hour period, but I also have to tell you that in approximately ten percent of the cases, the cornea is burned too badly and the blindness becomes permanent," Jason truthfully answered the angst filled hunter.

"Doc, my eyes are really hurting. Is there something you can give me to stop the pain," Sam pleaded, resisting the urge to rub at them with his hands. The pain was so bad that he felt like he had sand in his eyes and it was keeping him from concentrating on what the doctor was saying.

"Yes there is. I'll be prescribing you an antibiotic solution that should help and also something to help with the pain," Jason replied as he pulled the prescription pad from his pocket and wrote down a script for two different medications before handing it to Dean.

"Okay Sam, I am going to place an antibiotic solution into your eyes and then wrap them once I have given you an injection for the pain. The medications will probably make you drowsy, so once you get back home, it would probably be best if you went to bed for a while," Jason intoned, making sure Dean understood that is was more than just a suggestion, as he grasped a bottle of sulfacetamide 10% with methylcellulose solution from the medicinal cabinet to place into the young man's eyes.

"Don't worry Doc, I'll make sure he does," Dean voiced, wincing as he watched the doctor administer the pain injection into Sam's derriere after pulling the hem of his jeans down just a touch. Afterwards, he watched intently as the doc placed more medication into Sammy's eyes before placing a sterile gauze pad over the both of them and then wrapping them securely once again.

"Doc, is there anything else we can do to help the situation?" Dean asked, needing to know that he was doing everything he could to help his baby brother.

"Yes there is. You can make sure Sam stays isolated in a dark room as much as possible for the next 48 hours. If his eyes start to hurt before the next required dosage of medication, you can lay cool wet compresses over them and it should help to alleviate some of the irritation, Dr. Kent replied as he taped off the bandage. "Okay, once an orderly returns with a wheelchair, you are free to go," the doctor informed the brothers.

"Thanks Doc," Dean voiced, reaching out once again to shake the man's hand before watching as the medical professional exited the room. Noticing that Sam seemed to be succumbing to the medicine, he sat quietly at his brother's bedside thinking about the things that needed to be done when he got Sammy back to the motel.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Light A Candle **Ch. 3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Winchesters or anything recognizable in this story. The characters of Kurt Dremler and Jason Larson belong to David Reed. They are used in his book _Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting._

**Previously: **_"Thanks Doc," Dean voiced, reaching out once again to shake the man's hand before watching as the medical professional exited the room. Noticing that Sam seemed to be succumbing to the medicine, he sat quietly at his brother's bedside thinking about the things that needed to be done when he got Sammy back to the motel._

Pulling into the parking lot of the latest motel they were staying it, Dean pulled as close as possible to the door and then shut the engine down. Reaching over and placing a hand on Sammy's shoulder, he gave him a gentle shake. "Time to wake up, Champ," he voiced in a soothing voice so as not to startle his brother.

"Dean, wha?' Sam mumbled groggily as he pushed himself up in the seat and attempted to open his eyes, hissing when he was unable to do so. Raising his hands toward his eyes, he felt his brother's hands stop the forward progress.

"They're bandaged, remember?" Dean stated in explanation as he gently pushed Sammy's hands back down to his lap.

"Oh yeah," Sam muttered despondently as the events of the past few hours crowded his mind…the hunt, the ride to the hospital, the diagnosis of snow blindness.

"Sammy, it's going to be alright. Just you wait and see…" Dean's voice drifted off as he winced at his choice of words.

"That's the problem Dean, I can't see," Sam murmured as he leaned back against the seat.

"Not right now, but that won't be the case a day or two from now," Dean intoned with conviction evident in his voice. "You are going to see again Sammy."

"You don't know that Dean. The doctor said..."

"Who cares what he said. I'm the big brother here and what I say goes, and I say you are going to see again!" Dean voiced authoritatively.

"And no one would dare defy my big brother, now would they?" Sam stated with a laugh that chased away the somber tone that had fallen over him since waking.

"'Course not, now let's get you inside where you'll be more comfortable," Dean said as he pushed open his door and darted around to the other side so that he could help Sammy. Waiting for Sam to stand, he grasped his brother's arm and gently led him towards the room.

"Okay Sasquatch, it's getting late so I'm going to grab you some sleep pants and boxers from your duffle so you can get ready for bed and then I'm going to call in a take out. Anything in particular you want?" Dean asked as he rooted around in Sam's duffle for his night clothing.

"A pizza and some beer would be nice," Sam replied as he sat on the edge of the bed with his hands in his lap.

"Un Uh, Kiddo, no way! No beer while your taking your meds," Dean stated as he pulled Sam's clean clothing from the bottom of his brother's duffle. He would have to remember to wash his brother's clothing soon.

"Now who's the party pooper," Sam pouted, jumping in surprise when he felt his clothing hit him in the chest area.

"Just get changed," Dean groused with a smile even though his brother couldn't see it.

"Uh Dean, which way to the bathroom?" Sam stammered since he was kind of off balance right now and couldn't remember its location in the room.

"What, you too modest to change out here? It isn't like I haven't already seen everything you got," Dean chortled causing his brother much embarrassment.

"Jerk," Sam voiced, his cheeks coloring a bright red at the comment.

"It's about five steps to your left Bitch, and make sure you duck so that you don't bang your head on the doorway," Dean voiced as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He needed to order the food and then make a call to Bobby.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Picking up the phone as he prepared a steak and some fried potatoes for dinner, Bobby grumbled, "This better be good."

"Hey Bobby, it's Dean. I need a favor."

"Dean, something wrong, boy?" Bobby queried upon hearing the tone of Dean's voice and not liking the sound of it.

"I need you to find someone to finish a hunt for us. Something kinda happened and Sammy and I can't finish the hunt we were on," Dean replied with a sigh.

"Damn it boy, tell me what happened," Bobby grumbled, turning the stove on low and allowing the steak to simmer in its' juices.

"Sammy's uh, well, he's blind at the moment, Bobby."

"Balls," Bobby yelled rather loudly in surprise. What the hell happened, ya idjit?"

"It was a hunt for an orang minyak. We were on the ski slopes and the snow was really reflective. Turns out it's caused a case of snow blindness for Sammy. The doc says it will clear, but…"

"Where you boys at?"

"New Hampshire, Mt. Washington to be precise," Dean replied, tugging a hand through his hair.

"Okay, I'll be on my way just as soon as I make a few calls. I'll get Kurt Dremler and Jason Larson to take up the hunt. They're a couple of horses asses, but they'll get the job done."

"Bobby, you don't have to come. We'll be fine," Dean retorted, not wanting to put the older hunter out.

"I know that Dean, but I want to come," Bobby replied as he scrubbed a hand through his slightly graying hair with worry. "Just text me the coordinates and I'll get there when I can."

"Okay, and thanks Bobby," Dean replied just before hanging up the phone and sending their coordinates and the name of the motel they were staying at to the man who was so much like a father to him and Sam now, along with another message about something special he needed the gruff hunter to do for him.

"Dean?" Sam called out, standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Over here, Kiddo," Dean stated, pushing himself up from the table to meet his brother halfway. "The food should be here any minute. I ordered us a couple of roast beef sandwiches with a side of fries from Boston Market."

"Sounds good," Sam voiced, thankful that the meal would be an easy one to consume since he didn't have to worry about using a fork or a spoon to eat it.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Placing his hand under his pillow and grasping the knife that rested there, Dean lay still as he tried to figure out just what it was that had drawn him from a deep slumber. Stilling his breath, he listened for sounds of soft footsteps in the room, but what he heard instead was a pained moan.

"Sammy?" he gasped, shooting up in bed and then reaching over to turn the small dresser top lamp on to illuminate the room.

"Hurts, Dean," Sam replied breathlessly as he tossed his head back and forth in the bed. He had tried to keep from waking his brother, but he just couldn't take the pain anymore.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Dean chided as he pushed himself up from the bed to get his brother's medicated eyedrops.

"Th-thought I could handle it, but…."

"Next time you wake me!" Dean ordered as he approached Sam's bed and sat down beside him. "Let me get this unwrapped and then I'll put the drops in. Afterwards, we'll put a cool compress over your eyes to take away the hurt until the medicine kicks in."

"'Kay," Sam voiced gratefully, holding still as Dean unwrapped his eyes. Chewing his bottom lip in hope as he felt Dean grasp the first gauze pad, he tried not to groan in disappointment when the gauze pads were removed and he still couldn't see anything.

Steeling himself as Dean held open of his eyelids, he tried to keep from moving as he felt the first drop fall into his eye. Of course, he wasn't successful and Dean had to brace his head to put the next drops in.

"Okay, all done, Tiger," Dean stated as he finished with putting the drops into the second eye. "Now lay there and keep your eyes closed while I go get a cool compress to cover them."

"Dean, I…I…"

"You what, Sammy?" Dean called out from the bathroom as he soaked a clean washcloth under a cool stream of water.

"I, um, I gotta go,"

"Oh, okay, I'll be there in a sec. Placing the washcloth down on the sink, Dean walked out into the room to find Sam sitting on the edge of the bed and bouncing his knee.

"Up you go," Dean voiced, tugging Sam to his feet and steadying his brother when he wavered slightly. Leading his brother over to the small commode in the bathroom, he said, "You got this?"

"Dude, you are so not helping me to pee," Sam voiced abashedly, waiting until he heard the sound of Dean's footsteps walking away before doing his business. Flushing the commode, he pulled up his sleep pants and felt along the wall until he arrived at the sink. After washing his hands, he called out for Dean to help him back to the bed.

Helping his sibling to get back in the bed, Dean then returned to the small bathroom and re-wet the washcloth. Wringing the excess water out, he returned to his brother's bedside. "Okay Sammy, I'm going to place a cool cloth over your eye now. Just relax."

Sighing with the relief the washcloth provided, Sam snuggled further down into the bed and then faded off to sleep moments later

Noticing that Sam had fallen asleep approximately twenty minutes later, Dean re-wrapped his brother's eyes without waking him and then tucked the blankets in around Sam.

"Night Kiddo," he whispered, ruffling his sibling's hair before turning out the light and going back to bed himself. As he lay quietly in the bed to the soft sound of his brother snoring, he could only hope that Sam's vision would return soon as the doctor predicted. He couldn't handle the thought of his brother living in a world of darkness forever.

**TBC Sorry, I meant to have this posted this morning but family activities kept me busy all day.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Light A Candle **Ch. 4

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Winchesters or anything recognizable in this story.

**Previously: **_"Night Kiddo," he whispered, ruffling his sibling's hair before turning out the light and going back to bed himself. As he lay quietly in the bed to the soft sound of his brother snoring, he could only hope that Sam's vision would return soon as the doctor predicted. He couldn't handle the thought of his brother living in a world of darkness forever._

Dawdling around in the motel room early the next morning as his brother slept in a deeply medicated sleep, Dean sat and pondered about what the day ahead would bring for them. It had been nearly 24 hours since his brother had been diagnosed with snow blindness and he couldn't help but wonder if his sibling would ever see again. Walking over to the motel room window, he pushed the curtains aside to see the decorations that were displayed in festive merriment on the light poles and around the stores. _'Guess it would be too much to hope for a Christmas miracle' _he thought to himself as he stared at the gaily lit Christmas tree across the way. Winchesters didn't get miracles.

Noticing a yellow cab pull into the parking lot of the motel and stop near the front entrance, he wasn't surprised to see Bobby climb out of the cab, his arms loaded down with bags. Glancing quickly at Sam to see that his younger sibling was still deeply enthralled in the throes of sleep, Dean walked over to the door and gently eased it open.

"Need some help there, Bobby?" Dean queried as he walked towards the gruff hunter who was struggling to keep a grip on the bags he had in his right hand while trying to pull something else from the cab.

"Do I look like an octopus with eight arms to you boy? Of course I need some help, ya idjit?" Bobby grumbled lightheartedly as he smiled at the oldest of John's children. "Get the rest of the stuff out of the back seat for me."

Reaching into the backseat, Dean was surprised when his eyes fell upon a small three foot evergreen tree, one that was already decked out in festive ornaments and tinsel.

"Bobby? Dean questioned in astonishment as he pulled the artificial Christmas tree from the car.

"What, ya think I could fit a real tree in the car?" Bobby replied gruffly as if bringing along a Christmas tree with him was the most normal thing in the world. Not bothering to wait for an answer, Bobby sat his bags down beside him on the pavement and then grasped his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. Pulling a couple of twenty dollars bills from it to pay the cab fee, he handed the money over to the driver and wished him a Merry Christmas and told him to "keep the change."

"Well, whatcha waiting on boy? Let's get inside where it's warmer," Bobby stated as he walked towards the motel room door, his arms once again laden down with the bags..

Waiting for Dean to open the door, Bobby walked inside and then placed the bags he was carrying down on the floor. Glancing over at the bed farthest from the door, his heart physically ached to see Sammy lying there in bed with the bandages wrapped around his head.

"How's he doing?" Bobby whispered, traipsing over to bed to kneel down beside it so he could lightly palm Sam's cheek with fatherly affection.

"Pretty well, considering what's happened," Dean answered, carrying the small evergreen tree over to the table and placing it atop of it. "He's scared, but he's trying his best not to let things get him down."

"That's good," Bobby replied as he walked over to the bags he had placed on the floor and started pulling tree decorations from them.

"Um, Bobby, not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but why did you bring the tree and stuff?" Dean queried, a perplexed expression on his face. "I mean, when I talked to you last night, I just asked you to pick up a few presents for Sammy since I new I wouldn't be able to leave him on his own to do it myself."

"Guess I just wanted us to have a proper Christmas, ya know…like a family and all," Bobby replied as he glanced over at Sam who was starting to show signs of waking. "I mean you two are like kids to me…and well, damn it, I just wanted to make sure Sam had something worth seeing when he got his eyesight back."

"We love you too, Bobby," Dean replied round the lump in his throat, and who's to say that it wasn't dust that was causing his eyes to mist with tears right now.

"Okay, enough with the Hallmark moment. We got some decorating to do before the Jolly Green Giant over there wakes up," Bobby gruffly informed Dean as he pulled some Christmas lights from the bag to string on the tree and around the room.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Pushing himself up in the bed so that he could lean against the headboard, Sam tensed for just a moment as he felt the presence of someone else in the room but then quickly relaxed upon realizing that it was Bobby Singer by the smells he associated with the man…Old Spice aftershave and car oil.

"Hey Bobby, I didn't know you were coming," Sam called out as he looked towards the area where he assumed Bobby to be sitting. "Is Dean still here?"

"Yeah, right here, Tiger," Dean answered as he walked over and sat on the edge of Sam's bed. "You need anything?"

"Something clean to change into?"

"Sure, got your jeans and a t-shirt right here," Dean voiced as he reached over to grab the clothing off the chest of drawers that sat opposite of their beds. He had placed the clothing there earlier knowing Sammy would want to shower upon awaking. "Let me help you to the bathroom."

"I-I got it," Sam mumbled with embarrassment, not wanting Bobby to view him as being helpless.

"Let your brother help you, ya idjit. Everyone needs help once in a while, even me," Bobby voiced bluntly to get his point across.

"Damn, the old man's got a bossy side, just like Dad," Dean smirked, taking Sam by the arm and guiding his sibling to the bathroom. "Okay Dude, I've placed a clean washcloth on the soap rack in the shower stall and a clean towel is hanging over the shower bar. If you need help with anything, just holler."

"Thanks Dean," Sam voiced, waiting until he heard Dean close the door to the bathroom before undressing and stepping into the shower. Turning on the water, he fumbled around until he found where the soap dish was built into the wall. Grasping the items there, he lathered up the washcloth and then reached out to place the bar of soap back into the dish but dropped it instead.

"Damn it,' he cursed as he knelt down and began to fumble around for the bar of soap. Of course, Winchester luck struck and he stepped on the bar causing him to lose his footing, which then caused him to fall harshly on his naked behind.

"Sonuva…" he swore in a pain filled voice just as the sound of the bathroom door swung open, forcefully hitting the wall and someone could be heard rushing into the bathroom.

**~~Supernatural~~**

Helping Bobby to hang up the lighted garland around the doorframe, Dean was just about to plug it into the electrical socket when he heard a crashing sound coming from the bathroom. "Sammy," he gasped with worry before dropping the end of the cord and rushing to the bathroom door. Raising his right foot, he kicked the door opened and rushed inside to find his naked as the day he was born sibling sitting in the bottom of the tub as he rubbed his bruised derriere.

"Sammy, you okay?" he asked worriedly as he knelt beside the tub and turned the shower water off.

"Dean, get the hell out of here. I'm naked."

"I don't care if you are naked. I need to know just what the hell happened and if you are okay or not?" Dean voiced anxiously, his hands immediately going to his brother's head to check for any bumps.

"M'fine. I just slipped on the soap when I dropped it. I didn't hurt my head, just my pride and my ass," Sam mumbled in a low voice. "Now would you please go so I can finish up and get dressed?"

"Yeah, okay," Dean answered as he pushed himself to his feet and prepared to walk out the door. "Just, be careful this time, will ya!"

Walking out of the bathroom, Dean was surprised as he nearly collided with Bobby who was standing nearby in case his help was needed.

"He okay?" Bobby questioned, parroting the question he had asked earlier, as he nodded his head towards the bathroom door.

"Yeah, he slipped and fell while in the shower. He'll probably have one hell of a bruise on his butt later, but he'll be okay," Dean informed the worried hunter.

"That boy always could be clumsy at times," Bobby groused before reaching up to tug the ball cap off his head. "It's about time for lunch. Hand over the keys to the Impala and I'll run up the road to that diner I saw and get us something to eat while you sort things out."

**~~Supernatural~~**

Returning to the motel approximately thirty minutes later, Bobby smiled upon walking into the room to see both his boys sitting at the table, Sam's bottom resting on a pillow which had been placed on the seat of the chair he was sitting in to soften the seat.

"Ass feeling a little tender there, boy?" Bobby queried good-naturedly as he carried the sack filled with three Styrofoam containers over to the table and placed it in the middle.

"A little," Sam retorted, his cheeks tingeing a bright red upon hearing the remark. In an effort to change the subject quickly, he remarked, "Something smells good."

"That's cause the mom and pop diner down the road was serving Christmas dinner. I got us all a turkey dinner with the works," Bobby enthused as he pulled the Styrofoam containers out of the bag.

"Awesome!" Dean voiced vehemently as he took one of the containers and placed it in front of his brother. Opening the lid, he then said, "Okay Samantha, the turkey and dressing is at twelve o'clock, the mashed potatoes are at three, the green beans are at six, and the cranberry sauce is at nine o'clock," to explain where Sam could find each food item.

"What, no pumpkin or pecan pie?" Sam asked, wondering what was for dessert.

"Yeah, I got that for later, Sport," Bobby voiced, reaching out and placing a hand on Sam's shoulder to give it a light squeeze. "Didn't want you to get sick from eating too much foods with the medicine the doc has you on."

**~~Supernatural~~**

Later that evening found Sam sitting in a chair nervously as Dean prepared to remove the bandages from his eyes. It had been a little over 24 hours since he had lost his eyesight, and he was excited, but yet scared to find out what the results would be when the bandages were removed. Breathing deeply in an attempt to fight down the nausea that was attempting to build, he jumped in surprise as a hand softly clasped his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"Relax Kiddo," Dean said softly as he pulled a chair in front of Sammy and sat down. "Bobby, will you turn off the lights and light a candle. The doctor said Sam's eyes would be really sensitive to light once he got his eyesight back and I don't want him suffering pain needlessly."

"Sure thing, Ace," Bobby replied, lighting the candle that Dean had situated on the nightstand. Pulling the lighter from his pocket, he quickly lit the candle, waiting just a moment to make sure it would stay lit before walking over to the door and turning off the lights.

"Okay Sammy. I'm getting ready to remove the bandages. I want you to keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them." Reaching up, Dean then removed the tape and began to unwind the gauze from around his sibling's head. Once that was finished, he dropped the gauze into the trash can beside him and then reached towards the sterile pads covering his brother's eyes.

"Okay, here we go Tiger," he voiced, chewing on his bottom lip in angst. He was almost afraid to have Sam open his eyes for fear that his brother would still be blind. "Now remember Dude, the doc said it could take upwards of 48 hours for your vision to come back. So if you can't see when you open your eyes, don't panic, there's still time for your vision to return."

"Yeah, 'kay," Sam whispered,

"Alright Champ, you can open them now," Dean voiced, before starting to gnaw nervously on his bottom lip once again.

Slowly opening his eyes, Sam clenched them shut a few times to clear the filmy substance he could feel on them from the medicine and then beheld a sight he never thought he'd see again….that of his brother's face.

"Well?" Dean questioned anxiously, once again before nibbling on his bottom lip in angst.

"Ya Know Dean, if you keep chewing on that bottom lip of yous, you're going to chew the thing off," Sam stated in answer.

"Don't do that to me again. You scared me, Bitch," Dean voiced, wiping away the tears that were beginning to mist his eyes at Sam's declaration. His brother could see!

"Sorry, Jerk. I didn't mean to…" Sam's voice drifted off in astonishment as his eyes took in the Christmas decorations scattered about the room.

"Merry Christmas, Sammy," Dean and Bobby shouted in unison, big smiles shining on their faces.

"When did…I mean…I thought you said…," Sam stammered, not knowing what to say.

"Well, I changed my mind," Dean said, reaching out to palm the nape of his brother's neck. "So uh, you wanna open your presents or what?'"

"Presents? But I didn't get you or Bobby anything," Sam refuted, glancing from one hunter to the other.

"Kid, the only present we could have ever wanted we just got," Bobby intoned knowing that Dean felt the same way. They couldn't have asked for anything better than for Sammy to get his sight back.

"Okay, enough with the chick flick moments. Let's go open the gifts," Dean voiced, pulling his brother to his feet so they could walk over to the table where the small mound of presents lay under the tree.

Grabbing one of the presents, he handed it over to Sam. "Go ahead, Tiger. Open it."

Pulling the wrapping from the package, Sam was stunned to see a pair of sunglasses that was equipped with UVB protection and had the wide protective side arms.

"I don't know what to say," Sam stated, knowing Dean bought the glasses to make sure his eyes would be protected from anything bright forever more.

"You don't have to say anything," Dean informed his brother before drawing him into a hug. "You just need to wear those shades anytime we go outside from now on. I never want to chance anything happening to your eyes again."

_And as evening settled into night, the three hunters opened gifts and conversed happily knowing that they were enjoying the best Christmas ever._

**The End. **I hope you enjoyed this little Christmas story. I know it was much shorter than my usual ones and that the hunt was taken care of 'off screen' but I just wanted this story to center around the brothers and Dean doing what he does best…taking care of Sammy!

**I hope everyone who celebrates had a very Merry Christmas, and for those of you who do not, I hope the day was special for you in other ways!**


End file.
